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April 2011
Legislators who want to take drivers licenses from dropouts might be on the wrong road
Drive cautiously.
That’s our advice to South Carolina legislators, who are considering a bill that would suspend the driver's licenses of teens who drop out of school.
At first blush, the bill seems to make a lot of sense: Students might think twice about leaving school if they’re worried that they won’t be able to drive. And with an on-time graduation rate of 72 percent, state leaders should use whatever tools they can to encourage students to make better choices.
Problem is, most students don’t really choose to drop out of school — not in the way that one might assume.
Yo quiero graduation: Taco Bell, Mark Wahlberg team up for dropout prevention fundraiser
If you're in a run-for-the-border mood anyway, might we suggest that you slap a few extra dollars on the Taco Bell counter to help support organizations working to inspire teens to graduate high school?
From April 7 to 21 at participating Taco Bell restaurants nationwide, customers can donate to the "Graduate To Go" campaign, in which one of the nation's largest fast food chains has committed to match customer contributions up to $1 million, nationwide.
Hispanic graduation rate not keeping up with increases in labor force
One in three entrants into the U.S. labor force is Hispanic.
By 2025, that ration will jump to one-in-two.
Yet the high school dropout rate is more than three times the comparable rate for non-Hispanic students, and Latinos have made virtually no progress in the level of college completion in the last 30 years.
Online learning: It's not about choosing sides
The polar positions set forth in a recent piece in The New York Times about the rise of online learning — particularly as it applies to credit recovery — go a little something like this:
"Online learning is all about the kids."
"Online learning is all about saving a buck."
The piece, by Times reporter Trip Gabriel, should be required reading for anyone who cares about education reform. It certainly highlights the entrenched positions by each side in the online learning debate.
But it might be missing something important that we've noticed about the rise of online learning: Most teachers, parents, students, administrators and other leaders have not chosen sides — and most probably will not.
Are "Age 18" dropout laws worth it?
What would an "Age 18" dropout law mean for the state of Kentucky.
Well, according to Jim Waters of The Bluegrass Institute, a free-market think tank:
• 11,400 students would be added to the Kentucky school system. These are, Waters argues, students who have "already mentally dropped out."
Poor kids who are also poor readers are in "double jeopardy"
Think the front lines of the fight against America's dropout epidemic are in the nation's high schools?
Think again.
A newly released longitudinal study of nearly 4,000 students has found that students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave school without a diploma than proficient readers. And the students who had the most trouble reading — those couldn’t master even the basic skills by third grade — dropout at rate nearly six times greater.
How Digital Curriculum is Transforming Learning
Join Innosight Institute Executive Director Michael Horn as he discusses how digital curriculum is transforming learning as a disruptive innovation in education, and the impact it will have on the future.
A short Q&A will follow following the EdWeek.org event, which begins at 3 p.m. EDT on April 20.
Legislators: Don’t take the keys away just yet
Drive cautiously.
That’s our advice to South Carolina and Minnesota legislators, who are considering bills that would suspend the driver's licenses of teens who drop out of school.
At first blush, these bills seem to make a lot of sense: Students might think twice about leaving school if they’re worried that they won’t be able to drive. And with an on-time graduation rate of 72 percent in South Carolina, state leaders should use whatever tools they can to encourage students to make better choices.
Will Graduate Greenville drop out of school?
Graduate Greenville may have to drop out of school.
The program, which matches at-risk youth with mentors who guide the students from 9th grade to graduation, is being cut due to a lack of funds.
Will Connecticut lawmakers move forward on dropout age bill?
A legislative committee has held off from voting on a bill that seeks to boost the high school dropout age in Connecticut, according to the Associated Press.
The panel has until Tuesday before the bill is dropped from the assembly's agenda.
Under current law, Connecticut teens can drop out at 16 with parental consent, but the age will change to 17 on July 1.